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AUSPOLLIEWATCH EVERY CLAIM LINKS TO ITS SOURCE · NOT A SCORECARD

Portrait of Penny Wong

Penny Wong

Australian Labor Party · Senate · SA · incumbent

Penelope Ying-Yen Wong was born on 5 November 1968 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, to Jane (née Chapman), an English-Australian, and Francis Wong, a Chinese-Malaysian architect/town-planner from Sandakan; her parents separated in 1976 and she moved with her mother and younger brother to Adelaide, South Australia. She was educated at Scotch College before attending the University of Adelaide, graduating in 1992 with Bachelor of Arts (Jurisprudence) and Bachelor of Laws degrees. She then worked as a lawyer and political advisor before entering the Senate in 2001. [source]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (cabinet) in the Second Albanese ministry, sworn in on 13 May 2025. Australian Labor Party senator for South Australia. [source]

Sourced positions

A verified position is the member's own stated view or vote, supported by the listed sources. This page records public statements and conduct only — see methodology.

Immigration verified

As Foreign Minister, Wong said her government would "consider New Zealand's concerns about Australia's Section 501 deportation policy," under which non-citizens with criminal records are deported, an issue that had strained relations between the two countries.

Faith & religion verified

Wong is described as a practising Christian and a member of the Uniting Church in Australia; she is quoted saying "I do not ever remember having the sense that I denied the existence of God."

Foreign policy & aid verified

As Foreign Minister, Wong said in April 2024 that Australia would consider recognising Palestinian statehood as a means of facilitating a two-state solution, but clarified the May 2024 UN vote on Palestinian participation did not constitute recognition, which would come only "when we think the time is right." She described Israel's planned Rafah offensive as "unjustifiable" (February 2024), paused UNRWA funding in February 2024 pending Israeli evidence, and in June 2025 announced Australia would sanction Israeli ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. She sought to stabilise relations with China, becoming the first Australian cabinet minister to visit China since 2019 (December 2022).

Citizenship (s44 eligibility) verified

Wong was born in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, and held Malaysian citizenship, which she renounced in 2001 before being elected to the Senate in 2002, resolving her eligibility under section 44(i).

Freedom of speech verified

Voted against the second reading of the Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2017, which proposed replacing 'offend, insult, humiliate' with 'harass' in section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act (Senate, 30 March 2017; Ayes 32, Noes 29). Voted against Schedule 1 of that bill standing as printed, the provision making the substitution; the Schedule was negatived and the change did not proceed (Senate, in committee, 30-31 March 2017; Ayes 28, Noes 31).

Record last updated 2026-08-13.